Thursday, July 21, 2011

Jessica Sutta

Jessica Lynn Sutta,born May 15, 1982 is an American dancer, singer, recording artist, model, and actress. She is best known as a member of the American pop girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She left the group in January 2010 to embark her solo career. She is currently finishing up her debut solo album which is expected to be released in summer 2011. She is currently signed to "Hollywood Records".

Sutta was born in Miami, Florida, of Russian-Polish-Jewish father and Irish Catholic mother. She grew up in Cutler Bay, Florida with two older brothers, Billy and Kevin. She started dance classes at the age of three. She was a child model in a dance wear catalog/magazine in Miami called Star Style among the child models was Melissa Pastrana who also graduated from NWSA New World School of the Arts. She was a Miami City Ballet dance student in Miami Beach, Florida among the alumni were Crista Villela, Melissa Pastrana, Kelly Hess, Patricia Delgado, Cherilyn Franco- Morroco, Jeanette Delgado just to name a few. At New World School of the Arts, she studied dance. She tore the ACL on both knees and switched to theater studies, before finally returning to dance. She joined the NBA's cheerleading squad Miami Heat in 1999 and became captain in 2001.

Pussycat Dolls and solo career beginnings

In 2003, she moved to L.A. and three months later was on a dance audition for a PSA involving Smokey Bear when she came to the attention of choreographer Robin Antin, who cast her with the Pussycat Dolls in 2003.

From the moment Sutta joined The Pussycat Dolls, she says: "This is where I always wanted to be. I thought The Pussycat Dolls were genius. I am so blessed to be a part of this group. Sutta sang co-lead along with Carmit Bachar and Ashley Roberts in the "Stickwitu" single b-side, "Santa Baby". After the departure of Bachar from the group, Sutta took the parts that Bachar used to sing, and co-leads with Melody. Sutta also recorded a solo song, "If I Was A Man", for the Deluxe Edition of the Dolls' second studio album Doll Domination. The song is produced by Smidi, Ron Fair, and Stefanie Ridel.

During the hiatus of the Pussycat Dolls in 2007, Sutta was featured on two tracks, "Make It Last" and "White Lies". Both managed to chart at the Hot Dance Club Play reaching top three while "White Lies" was successful in Europe. It made Sutta the second artist to have two concurrent top 10 Club Play singles. "White Lies has been #1 for four weeks on Billboard's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. Dave Audé talk about her collaboration with Sutta. He said,

"Jessica was one of the Pussycat Dolls that didn't get a lot of the spotlight in the actual Pussycat band, but she just loves club music. So I've been doing a few songs here and there. I recorded the vocals for her song with Paul Van Dyk's 'White Lies.' She sang on my song which wasn't a full vocal song but it had some, it was more of a club track and fortunately went to number one.

On January 29, 2010, Sutta revealed she had been ousted from the group. In an interview with E!Online Sutta revealed that she broke a rib while on tour with the group and the group's management failed to provide her with any accommodation, so the almost "homeless" singer had to crash on a friends couch as she recovered from a broken rib. In Life & Style Magazine she stated: "I basically felt like nothing more than a glorified back-up dancer after seven years with the group. I wasn't feeling like I was growing in the situation. It was something I had to do. Breaking my rib is what sent me over the edge. Sutta told MTV News that she has the blessing of the Dolls to step out on her own. "They were really supportive of me. It was a big decision, but it was the best decision." She also said she can be her own woman. "I think I was always in the shadows of Nicole, so I think it's the chance for me to come out. On January 30, 2010, Sutta clarified her comments with ABC News regarding her leaving the Pussycat Dolls, stating that Scherzinger is like a sister and she has love for her.

Solo career development

In an interview in Starpulse.com she revealed more details about her solo album. She told,

"This year is going to be really busy for me because I'm starting my album so I'm not going to have a lot of time. I'm writing and I'm working with up and coming producers. I have a love for dance music so it's going to be dance music, also inspired pop dance music." The sound should reflect some of the same influences as the Pussycat Dolls music, but more focused to Sutta's own inspirations.

After her announcement of her departure from the group, she told MTV News that she will try her hand at another aspect of the musical process, songwriting. "I'm really excited about my solo project, I've been working with my friend ... and I've actually been writing. I didn't get a chance to write on the Dolls albums, and I just found out I can write, which is really cool. So my music is really upbeat. You can put it in your ears and drift away which is really fun.

She recently announced that she has finished a song with British songwriter and record producer Martin Harrington called "Rodeo", and there will be a rapper on it. Harrington has written and produced for many artists including Kylie Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia. Sutta and Harrington also recorded a song "I Got This Down".

It was also confirmed that she will be featured on Eva Simons new song called "Look But Don't Touch" from Eva's debut solo album. She stated she is co-writer on the song.

In September 2010, Jessica revealed that her first solo single would be called "I Wanna Be Bad. She debuted the song at the Truck Stop / Here Lounge in West Hollywood. Jessica also stated that the video would be released soon on her official YouTube channel. "I Wanna Be Bad" is produced by Dutch producer Tearce Keaz.

Since quitting the Pussycat Dolls, Jessica says there's no bad blood between the girls. "I talk to them a lot. They're really supportive and all doing their own thing. We grew a sisterhood, so I miss them a lot. "I Wanna Be Bad" was released on iTunes on October 19.

It's been confirmed that Sutta signed with a marketing agency EFG Expands Talent Division, which has delivered successful campaigns to build brands in the lifestyle, fashion, beauty, hospitality, film, television, music and overall entertainment.

Sutta performed during the Tailgate Show at the Dolphins vs. Lions Game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida on January 19, 2011. She performed two new songs from the album called "Jack In The Box" and "Good Boy". In a recent interview she said "Jack In The Box" might be her new single, stating that it's her favorite song of the album alond side "Good Boy", which she described as "sexy and fun". Jessica's collaboration with Cedric Gervais "Where Ever You Are" was released on March 2011.

She officially confirmed on her Twitter that she had signed to "Hollywood Records", home to several Disney artists. She also confirmed her album is nearly completed and it will be called "Sutta Pop". Jessica's new single "Show Me" will appear as a bonus track on 'Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 39' which will be released on August 9, 2011. The song was produced by Busbee and the video has already been shot.The track will serve as the first single from her debut album.

Media appearances

Sutta plays the woman who was abused by her husband in Ana Johnsson's music video for "Don't Cry for Pain". As a freelance dancer, she appeared in music videos for Will Smith ("Miami"), Baby Bash ("Suga Suga"), Craig David ("Spanish") and Gloria Estefan ("Don't Let This Moment End"), among others.

As an actress, she was part of the original cast in the Swedish American soap opera known as Ocean Ave., along side Megan Fox, where she played Jody Starr, a pill-poppin' Gothic teenager.She has also appeared in the movie From Justin to Kelly, a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film, and Bully where she played Blonde. Sutta had a brief role in the 2003 film Bad Boys II. She was also hosting a show for a Miami based cable network called "SoBe in the Night". In 2007, she appeared on an episode of the game show Identity in disguise as a Pussycat Doll.

In 2007, Sutta appeared in a series of video ads on Myspace for Unilever's Axe body spray, as part of their 'Bom Chicka Wah Wah' campaign. The ads took the form of instructional dance videos, with Sutta displaying 'sexy' dance moves.